St. Landry democrat., 1887-04-09
SMOKING AMONG LADIES.

SMOKING AMONG LADIES.
The Pernicious Habit Becoming More and
More General in America.
A recent incidental statement made
by an authority whose opportunity Of
observation leaves no doubt rs to its
truthfulnesSS discloseS the fact that the
practice of smoking among American
ladies is becoming more and more gen
eral. The observer, who is a lady OF
the highest standing in New York,
saws: more American women smoke
cigarettes, and often cigars, than the
world wots of. Only a few mornings
ago | sat III the boudoir Of one Of the
best known women in New York So
cietv, lady whose name is a synonym
for every thing that is womanly and
refined to the outside world, while
she smoked cigarette after cigarette
with the utmost placidity. During the
morning three other ladies dropped in,
and two of them also produced dainty
cigarctte-cases and smoked with entire
composure, ejecting the curls of smoke
into rings above their heads as grace
fully and perfectly as the. most expert
smoker among men could do. know
myself of scores of our best New York.
Boston and Philadelphia ladies. all my
personal friends, who indulge in smok-
inc, and whose names, if given to the
public, would cause establishment.
1t is not pleasant to contemplate con-
dition of affairs as the above gives us
excellent reason to believe exists to-day
among our American women. Men
smoke, and why should not women?'
many have asked. Simply because
there are a thousand and one things
which, though proper in men, are en-
tirelv unbecoming to women. The as
ISOLATION of tobacco with refined lady
is disagreable; it is not so with the
most polished gentleman. 1t is argued
by some that in Spain, France and
Turkey and other European countries
the women all smoke and in public;
yet these same people making this as
sertion have never for themselves seen
the class of women who are addicted
W lIllS uot VI toDOCSo. III ilhS
might we conduct foreigner to places
in our great cities where women can
be found continually smoking, but
could such visitor return to his native
and an declared in truthfulness that
the American lady smokes? We are
aware that in France especially the
habit of smoking among women is more
general than in America, but likewise
are many other habits which American
mothers would not care to associate
with the lives of their daughters or
their lady friends. If the custom of
smoking among American ladies is be-
coming prevalent, it is one that can
not be otherwise than deeply deplored.
No woman-and we weigh each word
in this statement be a lady and
be addicted to smoking. The argu-
ment that men smoke is no plausible
reason for women doing SO, and no one
possessed of any degree of common
sense will advance such a comparison.
There are scores and hundreds of
things that can be properly associated
with the more commonplace nature OF
man, but when connected with the del
icate and refined nature of woman
they become widely dissimlar.
Tobacco was intended for the use of
men, and while it would be infinitely
better were it not used at all, or used
in much lesser quantities than it is at
present, the cigar or cigarette is not
unbecoming to the most perfect gentle
man. But when employed by ladies.
it is put to a use for which it was never
intended, and the cigar in the mouth
of woman becomes Der as much as
would a costly flag of the richest satin
texture if placed on the begrimed mast
of one of the scows that rid our cities
of their superfuous mud and fifth -
BROOKLYN Mq0aziue